I'll Mean It with All of My Heart
by Izzychase
Summary: A short Rachel/Dean fic on what Dean and Rachel decide to do with Dean's last year to live. Dean/Rachel AU set in "Reflections Road"verse.


Title: I`ll mean it with all of my heart

Author: Izzychase

Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill, Supernatural, or any of its characters. This is just a work of fiction.

Author`s Notes: This is a short one-shot Rachel/Dean future wedding fic loosely linked to the AUverse started in _Reflections Road_. This was purely an exercise of being able to write a short (less than 1200 words) fic in less than an hour with a single song prompt. This is another fic mainly written from Rachel`s point of view: I`m exploring Dean`s POV in another fic, so I will be trying to keep a balance between narrators. I know it`s a bit fluffy, but it _is _a wedding fic so you`ve been warned ;)

Feedback: Yes, please! I love getting reviews and it helps me get fics out faster (but no flames: we all have our own favourite ships and shows, and it`s okay to click the `Back` button if they aren`t your couple)

It's a beautiful California summer afternoon without a cloud in sight, and there's a subtle hint of a breeze coming from the Pacific Ocean as it whispers into the quiet gardens.

Rachel's walking down the makeshift aisle defined by the way the few chairs are set up, dressed in a flowing strapless white dress with a low back that dips dangerously and a bust tight enough that it gives a hint of her generous cleavage but still conservative enough for a wedding. The dress is rented from a shop in downtown Santa Barbara but it still fits her perfectly, and her brilliant red hair is loose and flowing down her bare back with the front locks pinned in a sophisticated style that hold her veil in place. Her makeup is expertly applied by Brooke's practiced hand, and the only wedding jewellery she's wearing besides her heirloom diamond studs is the amulet that she's had since Dean gave it to her three years ago. The amulet is hidden within her cleavage close to her heart, and only Dean knows how much the amulet means to both of them.

She's walking with a calm and graceful air, and out of the eight people present, only four of them know that Dean only has a year to live. She's grown up and changed so much; lived a life too full and rich beyond her years; seen and done things that can only feel fantastic and surreal to others; and lived a life on the edge that brings her closer to brushes with death and mortality more than what most people would be able to stand. She's cried her tears about the reality of his impending death until her eyes were red and puffy only last week, and today she's ready to live bravely and walk down the aisle to marry the man that she's loved since she was eighteen. Without a doubt, they don't need to take vows in front of others to demonstrate their love for each other and they don't need to legally married to commit their lives to one another, but they've decided to follow tradition for once and to formally define their long-term relationship as akin to a marriage, even if this ceremony is just a glimpse into the intensity of their feelings about each other.

She makes eye contact briefly with Brooke and Lucas and Mouth who are half-turned to watch her cross down the aisle and she draws strength from their friendship, even if they don't fully understand why she had phoned them from northern California only a week ago to fly out to Santa Barbara where the wedding is going to be conducted by a non-denominational priest whom they've made an acquaintance of during a hunt. Being the loyal friends that they are, they flew out without many questions asked when they heard the urgency in her voice. In a year's time, they'll console her when she becomes a widow and try to offer what comfort they can, even if they don't know it yet.

Dean is standing beside the priest, looking more handsome than she's ever recalled in his classic tux even if she knows that he's probably uncomfortable with the formal clothes. His brilliant emerald eyes hold some unshed tears that he would never admit to, and his eyes light up as she walks slowly down the aisle to him and the intensity of the love and passion in his gaze is enough to send shivers up her spine. When he sees the amulet peeking out at the top of her cleavage, his eyes blaze with recognition of its significance: she's wearing _his_ amulet even if the rest of his body doesn't give anything anyway. He's composed and dignified, more mature than she's ever seen him. When he sees Bobby escorting her up the aisle to him, she knows that he's fighting back tears and the fact that Bobby is walking her down the aisle to him means more to Dean than anyone else will ever know. Sam isn't so great at hiding his emotions; his eyes are blurry with unshed bittersweet tears and he keeps his hands shoved into his pockets and she sees him take even breaths to settle his feelings. Sam is almost like a brother and she knows that when Dean is gone they'll have to take care of each other and live strong for Dean.

Dean is more than a boyfriend, more than a lover, and he's practically been her husband in everything but name since they've been together. She`s learned how to commit, how to compromise, how to be less selfish and more selfless, how to turn from being a spoilt teenager to being the better person whom she is today, and she has him to thank for it. He`s protected her, taught her how to defend herself, made her laugh and smile, took care of her, and loved her beyond all superficial traits that had been the defining characteristics of all her previous relationships. At the same time, he`s also confided in her, revealed sides of himself that others rarely saw, and gave her his heart. When he had asked her to marry him a week ago, Rachel had barely waited until he finished his sentence before she had started nodding vigorously and said yes, because she had just been thinking about the exact same thing.

When Rachel arrives to stand with Dean in front of the priest, she decides to break from their agreed upon arrangement to hold hands while taking their vows. Instead, she steps closer to him to put her arms around his waist, and apart from the slightly surprised look he had, Dean quickly mirrors her actions to rest his hands on her hips and draws her closer to him until they`re practically touching and she`s pretty sure he can listen to her heartbeat.

Today is about him. Today is about showing him that she`ll be with him until the very end, until he draws his last breath. Today is about her becoming Rachel Winchester, formally taking his name and entering his family and everything that implies. Today is about making every moment they have together from now on count. Today is about the two of them giving all of themselves to each other. Today is about saying those words that would have been difficult for them to say in the past because of all the walls and barriers they have around their hearts.

Today is the day she`s going to become his wife.

Even though they`ve written their own vows, Rachel had decided to incorporate some of the traditional lines. She knows today that when she says `til death do them part, she`s going to mean it with all of her heart.

THE END


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